{Reaching level 30 has granted you advancent. Choose one of your progression paths other than [Armant].}
{Reaching level 30 has altered your advancent progression. You will now be granted advancent every 3 levels.}
"Seven levels," she said. "It's ti."
"Look," said Dazel. "I know I was saying that it looked like you could take her earlier, but you, ah, successfully talked out of that notion, boss."
"You don't have be coy about what you want, Dazel. I don't bla for thinking that I should use the humans as a sacrifice—hope that they occupy Pluto long enough for to build more power."
"Now that's just unfair," he began, "I do not—okay, well, actually that's pretty spot on. But don't think about what I want, here, think about what you want!"
"I do," she said, flashing him a smile. "Very often. It's called ambition."
"Yeah, sure, pride clan and all, but Ashtoreth, there's a chance they manage to hide from her long enough that you can catch up. If you're close to her level, she's got no chance, right?"
"I just need to build out so [Hellfire] casting," Ashtoreth said. "Then we're toe to toe. Her casting versus mine, with hers stronger. Her teleportation versus my counterforce motion, with both of us flying. Her super high [Mana] pool from [Spellcasting] versus my endless [Bloodfire] from [Consu Heart]. And her martial abilities versus mine, with mine much stronger. It's a fight I can win."
"But that's not the fight you're angling for, now," Dazel said. "Co on, Ashtoreth: waiting won't put the humans at more risk than going in unprepared will. Tune the odds in your favor. Gain so levels."
She shook her head. "Pluto's a bit silly, but she's not incompetent."
"Gee," said Dazel. "Where have I seen that before?"
"She's going to find them," Ashtoreth said. "I'll grab so hearts from the guards in that citadel, then be on my way." To the system, she said: "I'll take [Vampiric Archfiend]... please."
{Advance [Vampiric Archfiend]}
{Choose an upgrade to gain, then choose to retain or replace all other options}
Upgrade [Blood Drain] with [Blood mory]:
You can glimpse so of a creature's mories when you consu their blood.
This upgrade will count as a [Blood] advancent.
Upgrade [Command Infernal] with [Command Undead]:
[Command Infernal] will beco [Command Profane], which can briefly dominate fiends, demons, devils, and undead.
Upgrade your racial flight ability with [Powered Flight]:
You can spend [Bloodfire] to greatly increase the strength of your racial flight ability.
As with your base racial flight ability, your wings are the focal point of this upgrade's power; destroying or harming them will greatly disrupt your flight.
"I'll take [Powered Flight], please," she said.
{You upgrade your racial flight ability with [Powered Flight]}
{Reaching level 33 has granted you advancent. Choose one of your progression paths other than [Vampiric Archfiend].}
"Armant, if you please!" Ashtoreth said.
"Huh?" Dazel asked.
But Ashtoreth was paying attention to the system, not him:
{Advance [Armant]}
{Choose an upgrade to gain, then choose to retain or replace all other options}
Upgrade [Conjure Rammstein] with [Rammstein: Rapid Ammunition]:
You halve the ti it takes to conjure a round for Rammstein.
Upgrade [Conjure Luftschloss] with [Luftschloss: Hellfire Blows]
Luftschloss now deals profane and fire damage to enemies. So abilities, like your [Mighty Blow] and [Mighty Strike], will heighten the intensity of the damage.
Upgrade [Conjure Armant] with [Armant Speed II]:
Quarters the ti it takes to conjure an armant.
"Gosh darn it," she muttered, looking at her options. It wasn't there—not yet at least.
"I don't get it," said Dazel. "Why Armant?"
"I'll take [Armant Speed II], please," she said to the system.
{You upgrade your [Conjure Armant] ability with [Armant Speed II]}
"Good," she said. "Hey Dazel, how many [Armant Speed] upgrades are there?"
"One for every armant you can conjure," he said. "Why are you still building weapons?"
"Because the best thing for my hellfire is if I can turn my [Strength] into [Magic], sohow. But I didn't get it, not yet." She frowned, then said to the system: "Excuse , but could list my [Armant] progression?"
{Your [Armant] Progression Path:}
[Conjure Luftschloss]
[Luftschloss: Counterforce Telekinesis]
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[Luftschloss: Mighty Blow]
[Luftschloss: Proximate Telekinesis]
[Luftschloss: Mighty Wielder]
[Luftschloss: Mighty Strike]
[Conjure Rammstein]
[Rammstein: Armor Piercing Rounds]
[Conjure Armant: Armant Speed I]
[Rammstein: Extra Capacity]
[Luftschloss: Energy Drain]
[Rammstein: Extra Capacity II]
[Rammstein: Reserve Ammunition]
[Conjure Armant: Armant Speed II]
"Huh," she said. "Five upgrades between Luftschloss and Rammstein, but I've gotten seven upgrades since Rammstein."
"Chance of getting a new armant increases the more you don't see it," said Dazel. "It'll show up in the next two upgrades."
"Which are at 39 and 45," she said. "Not exactly ideal."
"Probably the next, if that helps."
"It does," she said. "One level is a lot more reasonable than seven." She looked around and spotted the boss chest standing on the platform before the ruin of the bridge, then grinned. "I don't know about you," she said. "But I've got high expectations for the level 50 solo dragon boss loot."
"Wait a second," Dazel said as she made for the boss chest. "Aren't you forgetting sothing?"
"Nope!"
"You're not going to eat Crucifect's heart?" he asked. "Maybe imitate Sean Connery's voice while you say sothing about how it's the biggest you've seen?"
"Nope!"
"So you… don't want the stat bonuses of the level 50 boss?"
"Oh I want them," she said. "But I've got better plans for this massive carcass!"
Dazel looked from her to the dragon. "Right," he said. "Sure. Okay. I guess get your Arkenstone on and then let's get moving."
She touched the great black chest and heard the lock click before it sprang open.
Inside was a smaller, polished chest of black wood lying on a square of felt. She lifted this out of the chest, ran a hand across its smooth surface, then popped it open as well.
For a few monts, she simply stared at the contents of the box. Then her eyes widened as she looked down at the sparkling jewel before her. "It's… beautiful," she said at last.
{Ashtoreth's Spellfire Ruby}
While this ruby is on your person:
Your hellfire will count as dragonfire whenever this would be advantageous.
Your hellfire will burn away a creature's spellcasting resource as it damages them.
Your hellfire will dispel spells, conjured objects, and enchantnts that it cos into contact with, provided the effect is not too strong for your flas.
This ruby can be added to any existing piece of equipnt to upgrade it.
"This changes everything," she said, removing her diadem. She touched the ruby to its front, and the tal of the diadem grew, expanding to create a setting for the gemstone at its center.
"My hellfire already has a [Mana] draining effect if you count [Energy Drain]," she said, putting her diadem back on. "This one will make it stronger, though this one doesn't consu the [Mana] to fuel the hellfire. But the spell-burning effect? That's totally new. And very, very powerful."
She conjured a mirror with her glamour, then admired herself in it, tilting her neck so that the jewel could better catch the light.
"Okay, you were just saying that we need to hurry."
"This'll only take a sec."
"Also," said Dazel. "How did you get so good at glamours? You're extraordinary for soone so young—mirrors are difficult."
Ashtoreth began to weave herself a new outfit. The dragon was dead, and there was no reason to be in plate armor anymore. But how to dress for confronting Pluto?
"Ugh," she said as the pain of her contract began to rise in her body and press against her mind. Dazel had asked her a question, and she was compelled to answer.
Irritating, that.
"A glamour can overwrite reality with sothing more pleasant," she said. "Back in Paradise, I had a lot of realities that were begging to overwritten. My imagination needs exercise, you see."
"Right," he said. "I uh, didn't an to compel you to answer that."
In a few monts she'd finished her outfit: a black silk robe that iridesced purple, complete with ornate gold embroidery. "I would much appreciate it, Dazel, if you were attentive to our contract. After all, you don't want others to know about it, and my resistance is an obvious tell. Now climb up—we're going on a full-blown assault of the citadel."
"Hold on," Dazel said, hopping onto her back. "You just argued with that we shouldn't do that."
"Circumstances beca more favorable," Ashtoreth said, looking out through the haze toward the fortress floating above the lava lake.
She lifted herself into the air with her racial flight.
"Oh," she said. "That's nice." She glanced over her shoulder. "Are you good to hang on back there?"
"I can fly now too, rember? I'll just cling to your collar and try not to put weight on your wings."
"Great!" she said, beaming. "Let's go trigger so alarms!"
"Uh, listen—Ashtoreth."
"Uh-huh?"
"I just wanted to say—er, well."
"Well?"
"I shouldn't have pushed you before," he said.
She stiffened. "Forget about it.'
"When you told that your secrets weren't going to interfere with my plans… I should have asked around the question. I should have… I don't know. I'm keeping secrets, after all."
"I've noticed. But really, Dazel, I don't bla you for not trusting an archfiend. And you shouldn't bla if I don't trust you."
"Yeah…."
"Don't sound disappointed," she said, scowling. "This is the relationship you chose, rember?"
"Right."
"But then again, I don't know. You're a curious creature."
"What's that supposed to an?"
"Can that not be a question?" she asked, the compulsion slowly rising at the edges of her attention.
"Oh. Sure. Forget I asked, then."
"I ant that you're curious because well—because I figure that you just need a little love."
Dazel made a gagging noise.
"This lack of trust that leads you to bind ? It ca from sowhere. Maybe once I understand you more, I'll understand better why you felt you had to bind my soul to your service."
"It's very light service," Dazel added quietly.
"Dazel, there's no downplaying an infernal contract."
He sighed. "Fair enough."
"Now hold on tight," she said. "We've got company."
Ahead of them, rising over the walls of the citadel, were two tall, slender demons wielding pikes:
{Skygorger Demon — Level 25 Elite}
"Only two?" Ashtoreth said.
"Didn't these guys just watch you kill a dragon?" Dazel asked.
"I know," she said. "And I must say, I feel insultingly underestimated."
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